When a client device connects to a server (e.g., a web server, or a content server) to get a network resource using a network protocol, e.g., the Hyper-text Transfer protocol (HTTP), the server responds by sending the network resource or by sending a redirect message back to the client device over a communication channel. If the client device receives a redirect message, it will need to send a new request to the server based upon the redirect message, and the server will again respond with a redirect or a real resource. This communication process between the client device and the server repeats until the client device is able to get the resource, if available.
However, when the client device, e.g., a cell phone using a radio network, or a computer having a slow Internet connection, requests a network resource and has to perform more than one redirects to obtain the network resource, the client device will experience substantial delay and will spend a considerable amount of time to execute the whole process before finally being provided with the network resource. The delay can occur, for example, because of a large time to establish a connection and send the HTTP request, also referred to as latency time of radio networks or other slow network connections (e.g., Internet via a dial-up connection). Unfortunately, this delay can often lead to the client device not being able to obtain the network resource at all, or the client device giving up or relinquishing attempts to obtain the network resource under time constraints.
One conventional solution built to obtain faster HTTP responses for slow connection networks utilizes one or more proxy server devices (e.g., web proxy servers). Another conventional solution utilizes telephone carrier data centers that handle the network traffic for each client device by handling one or more requests when the client device is a mobile telephone, or a mobile personal digital assistant (PDA) device, for example. Unfortunately, the above-noted conventional solutions do not resolve the redirection problem associated with network resources stored on the servers since the redirect messages are forwarded on to the client devices for handling resulting in multiple back and forth communication between the client devices and the servers.